Christie looks to restore 'new normal' to NJ

HOBOKEN, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey tried to bounce back Monday to what Gov. Chris Christie called "a new normal," starting the first full work since Superstorm Sandy with limited options for mass transit, some school districts reopening but many still shuttered, and power restored to about 2 million customers.

A long line forms at the ferry terminal in Jersey City, N.J., as people commute toward New York City, Monday, Nov. 5, 2012. Flooding caused by Superstorm Sandy has halted mass transportation in the northern New Jersey region with train service to New York completely shutdown. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

NJ Transit ramped up bus service, and gasoline was flowing at an increased number of stations that had powered back up. But Sandy's devastation left the state with huge challenges: hundreds of thousands entered their sixth day without electricity, natural gas was cut off to barrier islands, PATH train service remained suspended and at least 4,000 residents were still stuck in shelters.

"We're returning to a new normal," Christie said Sunday. "One where power is coming back on, people can fuel up again in their cars, where kids can go back to school, roads are cleared and we'll have clean water to drink."

About one-third of the state's 2,400 schools had committed to reopening their doors Monday. Others planned to open mid-week.

In Clifton, buses pulled up next to Elementary School 14 and parents returned to the daily ritual of dropping their kids off at school.

Sheila Carrasquillo dropped off her 11-year-old daughter, Layla. Layla is autistic and, her mother said, very happy to be back at school. Her daughter suffered because she was without special services such as occupational and physical therapy.

"I was trying to keep up some of the routine with her at home," Carrasquillo said.

"I make it a point to have her around typical children," she said. "And when she's not some of those behaviors returned."

Mike Zagorski dropped off his four-year-old daughter, Josephine, at the school. His wife is a teacher in the district who went back today, and the family is ready to have some semblance of a routine back, he said. Josephine, her blond hair in pigtails, was wearing a pink coat and leggings with prints of candy corn and wrapped candy.

"I like school," Josephine said when asked if she was excited to go back. "And today is Halloween." The holiday was postponed in New Jersey.

In Wood-Ridge, Myung Hae Ko dropped off her 18-year-old son Justin, who raced into the high school building.

"Yeah, of course I'm glad he's back at school," she said. "He has nothing to do at home."

Overcrowding forced NJ Transit to halt North Jersey Coast Line trains in Woodbridge. Passengers were told to use bus service from Metropark instead.